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Period: Jan 1, 1400 to
Units 1/2
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Oct 11, 1492
Christopher Columbus Discovered America
Under the sponsorship of Spanish king and queen, Ferdinand and Isabella, Christopher Columbus sailed out in search of "God, gold, and glory." -
Jamestown, Virginia Established
The establishment of the colony, Jamestown, was impactful and marked the first colony extablished in North America. Many of the colonies established were made up of Europeans looking for religious freedom. These first settlers became farmers and struggled to adapt to life in the Americas. -
Thirteen British Colonies
Colonists came to the Americas in search of religious freedom, By 1732, Britain had thirteen established colonies on the eastern North American coast. These colonies prospered and brought wealth to Britain. -
The British Stamp Act
The Stamp Act and the Sugar Act were two major reasons for the colonies considering their independence. The Stamp Act required the colonists to put stamps on certain documents which cost money and raised taxes. British Parliament put a higher tax on sugar. This was called the Sugar Act and this caused the colonists to boycot the British imported goods. -
The Boston Massacre
While some American Patriots were protesting, the British soldiers killed some of the protestors. This lead to the infuriation of the political leaders in the colonies. The uprisings and massacre resulted in the removal of all taxes except the tea tax. -
Boston Tea Party
British Parliament was slowly losing control of the colonies and fianlly took away all of the unfair taxation. Most of the major taxes were abolished except for the tea tax. Britain outlawed all tea trade to America unless it came from them. This and the outrageous tax placed on the tea resulted in a boycot of the product and the act called the Boston Tea Party, where colonist dumped large amounts of tea into the Boston Harbor. -
The American Revolution
The American Revolution was an impactful part of United States history. This war ended in the thirteen British colonies becoming the United States of America. The Declaration of Independence was signed of July 4th, 1776 which proclaimed the colonies' freedom from Britain. -
The Declaration of Independence
In the midst of the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress was ready to take the next step to aquire their freedom. Thomas Jefferson was the main writer of the Declaration of Independence. On the 4th of July, the Continental Congress accepted and signed the declaration. This proclaimed their independence and was a huge slap in the face to Britain. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris, signed in 1783, was when Britain finally recognized United States as a nation. This was the final step for America to gain their freedom. United States stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River. -
American Social Reformation
From about 1800 to 1830, America began to reevaluate the way they treated other people. This time period brought about changes and more opportunities for women, slaves, and religious Americans. The aboliton of slavery was closer and women outwardly demanded for rights. -
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the American act of buying the Louisiana Territory from France. France was in the middle of their own revolution and needed financial support that the purchase would give them. The Louisiana Purchase also brought great pride and nationalism to Americans by doubling the size of their country. -
Market Revolution
The Market Revolution started in 1815 and went until 1840. This time is used to describe the changes that occured in the economy and in businesses. Factory production became more common as did purchasing consumer goods. Transportation and communication was updated with the railroads and telegraph. -
Manifest Destiny
The idea of Manifest Destiny began between July and August of 1845 when Texas was annexed and became a state. The idea came from nationalistic idea that the United States should span from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. This idea came with the mindset of doing anything to accomplish the goal, even if it meant to hurt other cultures and people in the way. -
President Lincoln Won Election
Early in his campaign, Lincoln made enemies by outwardly opposing slavery while Stephen Douglas, his competitor, didn't support nor approve of slavery which lost him many Southern votes. Abraham Licoln won the election with no support from the Southern states. This election lead to the Civil War. -
South Carolina Seceded From the Union
President Lincoln had just been elected into office with no help from the South. The South, fearing they had lost their political voice, had their own plan. On December 20th, 1860, South Carolina seceded from the Union. -
Start of the Civil War
The war began in Fort Sumter when Confederate soldiers fired on the Union camp. After the war started, four more states seceded. The battles were mostly in the South, which came as an advantage for the North, who destroyed all the land they fought on. This would make it difficult for the South to recover after the war. -
Westward Expansion
As the war was still being fought in the South, appeal for the West grew. Manifest Destiny sat in the mind of many Americans and the West looked like a great adventure for many people. Between 1862 and 1900, over 400,000 people moved to the West. -
The Emancipation Proclaimation
The Civil War held very harsh and deadly battles. This caused lots of casualties and injuries. The North was in need of more soldiers, so President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclaimation. This freed all slaves in the Confederate States. The Emancipation Proclaimation boosted Northern morale and encouraged newly freed slaves to enlist. -
End of the Civil War
The Civil War finally ended on April 9th, 1865. As the North began to win more battles, the Southorn morale reached an all-time low. The Confederate States finally surrendered at Appomattox. -
Dawes Act of 1887
The Westward Expansion caused many Native Americans to be pushed out of their homes and reservations. The Dawes Act of 1887 forced Native Americans to adapt to the American culture. As they were pushed into smaller reservations, their children were sent to boarding schools to be "Americanized."
